Biography: Traci L. Jones has written ever since she was a child. She loves to write for teens and stated in her biography, "It is such a hectic, wonderful, turbulent time in life. Full of promise and full of misery. A time to laugh while crying." Standing Against the Wind is her debut novel and it received the Coretta Scott King Award. She currently lives with her husband and four children in Denver, Colorado.
Summary: Patrice had a happy life when she lived in Georgia. She was taken from her home to live with her grandma because her mom was sent to prison. Patrice and her sister are now stuck living with their Auntie Mae. Patrice longs to get away from Chicago where she is teased and frightened by a group of guys who make fun of her wild hair. But, Monty Freeman who is a member of that boys group is different because he is kind towards Patrice. Monty becomes interested in Patrice due to her interest in schoolwork and good grades. While taking care of her cousins one day, Patrice learns of a scholarship for a prestigious African American boarding school in Mississippi. She wants to apply and attempts the challenge of filling out the application and all its parts by herself. Will she get in? You will have to read to find out!
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award
Review: Standing Against the Wind is a great, simple story which is easy to understand. I love how the story is from Patrice's point-of-view. It is perfect for junior high students, especially since they can relate to being picked on whether it has been themselves as the target or picking on someone else. The vocabulary throughout the book is not too challenging, yet the dialogue may be hard to follow if students are not aware of that kind of speaking. Overall, it is a great story. I give it two thumbs up!
My review can be found at Barnes and Noble and Borders.
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